The Far Corners, Anthology 1

The Far Corners, Anthology 1

Frank Tuttle

Six tales of magic, mirth, mystery, and monsters, together for the first time!

In this anthology you get:

"Keeping the Peace" -- The Troll War is over, save for a lone sorceress and the renegade general she's spent years tracking down. But the general holds a secret...

"The Harper at Sea" -- Jere the Harper, afloat on a raft, in the midst of the Great White Sea. His only hope is rescue -- but will the merfolk be his undoing?

"Waking the Master" -- The old wizard's house is clever, hard-working, and eager to please. So when the Master oversleeps, the House decides to take charge.

"The Truth About Arphon and the Apple Farmer's Daughter" -- Jere the Harper once again finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Can he sing his way out of trouble, or has the harper sung his last?

"One Such Shore" -- Silicy takes to the Sea to pursue her dreams. But the Sea is a perilous place, and the storms Silicy faces may force her to seek a new shore.

"Tinker Bell, Cannon Dale, and the All Wheeling Nick of Time"-- Elves. Bicycles. Shotguns. Whiskey. Just another day for Tir Na Nog's foremost bicycle repairman -- but a night is falling that will change him forever.

lightning illuminated her face, which changed with each crackle and flash. Now a woman’s, now a man’s, now something furred and fanged, or scaled and wet. "Sing well," it said. "Amuse my servants. Perhaps they will let you live. For a time." "Servants?" said Jere. His breath puffed out in a sudden long gout of steam. "Hold on, your wights swore an oath!" "All wraiths, wights, ghosts, and various and sundry supernatural, disembodied, and, um, bodied entities present," said the tia-tia, in Jere’s

through a throat gone raw and dry. She heard rather than saw the door to her deckroom open. A short blur darted inside, and raced to her bed. "Atto, missa, atto!" said Tiggi. He thrust a tall, heavy mug into her hands. Water. Silicy drank, and drank, and took a breath and drank until the mug was empty. The water was clean and cold – as cold as snow-melt, and as clean. Though her head pounded and reeled, Silicy wondered at the water – doubly so when she felt a chunk of ice touch her lips. Her

noticeable; indeed, Silicy realized that she was unconsciously moving the mug to and fro in time with the Sea. Silicy shrugged. "Then we shall all learn from one another," she said. "It is a long journey, to Opalan." Kula sat down beside her and looked into her eyes. "Oh, it is indeed," he said. "It is indeed." The sun was warm on Silicy’s face. "The Sea is wide and deep," she said, surprising herself. "Who knows what it shall bear?" Kula laughed, and pulled one of Silicy’s books from its box

way," I said. "The damage is too severe. There's not a part of Moonlight that isn't ruined. And even if you take her to Lottie's or Singer's, all they'll do is make her look whole. But she won't ride, Tink. She won't ride, and she sure as Hell won't have any magic." "I must have a bike," she said. "Tonight." I sighed. "Look," I said. "Maybe I can loan you a bike." "I cannot rely on any other bike," she said. "I must have my Moonlight." "Moonlight is dead," I said. Sometimes harsh words are

The cobbles, still blurred, grew smooth and uniform. I was downtown. Downtown, without the Nick. Downtown, alone. I pedaled faster at the thought. If it was to be my last ride, I wanted to make it a damned good one. Elves danced and leaped, making way. Darker shapes, too, showed at the edges of my vision, now and then, but if they grabbed all they got was air. Storm was fast. Faster than I'd ever hoped. Faster than I'd ever dreamed. Far faster than the Nick, even on that day we'd pierced the